Pothole repairs are costing each motorist £250

The cold and wet spells have left the nation’s roads in dire condition with local authorities saying 200,000 potholes currently need repairing.

Each pothole costs around £50 to repair but when motorists damage their cars they are left with a bill on average of £250.

And the "worst is yet to come", one website has warned, with many of the damaged areas difficult to spot due to the recent wet spell.

Rory Buckley, from potholes.co.uk, said: "This wet weather will be saturating roads right across the UK with existing potholes channelling water to weaken the road’s substructure, literally paving the way for even more potholes and defects to arise.

"Potholes and other road defects can cause sudden jarring or regular jarring which accelerates wear and tear to axle and suspension components, often leading to failure.

"Damage to wheel rims and punctured tyres are also a common fault of potholes."

It found, on average, 6.6 per cent of cars suffered axle or suspension damage linked to potholes or road defects.

With around 29.4million cars on UK roads in 2013 and an average repair bill of £247, it is estimated the total cost to motorists and insurance companies is £730 million.

Let us know whay you think. Do you have any particularly hazardous potholes near where you live?